The Wedding Season

"For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!"  Song of Solomon 2:11-13  NKJV

I have shared this article enough in the past that some of you may have considered that it might  be my favorite on the subject of rapture timing speculation.  Obviously there is not a day or an hour specified yet certainly it’s a season that I feel strongly has many reasons to support the idea that it could be when the Church will be called home.  If that weren’t reason enough, where I also believe we are as a world today on God’s prophetic timeline, leads me to share it again with you now.  So I hope you enjoy my thoughts on the Song of Solomon, and the possibility he is telling us when we are finally going home. 

Did you look forward to your wedding?  Did you possibly get a little more impatient the closer you got to the actual date?  I think most of us have either participated in our own, or observed someone else in this position and understand the impatience and anticipation someone approaching their wedding day experiences.  This though, raises a question in my mind which I would like you to consider as well.  Since the Church is described as the bride of Christ, and the Word also tells us He is coming to take His bride home at a future date, do you think Jesus is experiencing those same feelings of anticipation and impatience that we do?

When is the last time you heard a sermon taught on the Songs of Solomon?  To be completely honest, I don't recall personally ever having heard one.  Which truthfully seems to be a shame because if you believe that all scripture is inspired by God, and all scripture is profitable for instruction, you are then left with the question as to why this book was included in the scripture and what is its message?  As Solomon wrote this song to a Shulamite woman who he had fallen in love with, it is in essence his love song to her as he is courting her with the intent of making her his bride.  You don't need to read very far at all to understand the depth of his love for her, and the anticipation he has for the day she will become his own.

Seen in this light, it appears to me that this song can easily be considered to be what Jesus is feeling as He looks forward to His wedding to His bride, the Church.  Although the Jews have always looked at this book as signifying God's love for the nation of Israel, and it easily could be, I can also certainly see Jesus' love for the Church and His anticipation for the coming wedding in it as well.  One of the many interesting things I found while reading this book was this description of his intended which Solomon gives us in chapter 4.

"You are all fair, my love, And there is no spot in you."  Song of Solomon 4:7  NKJV

The fact that he sees no spot in her immediately brought to mind the description of the Church Paul gives us in the book of Ephesians.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."   Ephesians 5:25-27  NKJV

For many reasons, I can read this book and picture Jesus writing these words in anticipation of His future wedding with the Church.  Yet as long as we are going to talk about a future wedding, it would also seem appropriate to consider the possible timing of it, and see if Solomon gives us any clue as to when that might take place.  Notice his description in the passage from the second chapter, and everything that he says there.  It is obvious that Solomon is talking about the season of Spring, and all of the things that occur in Israel during that particular time.

"For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone."

Solomon tells us that the winter is past, as well as the early rains which normally fall in March and April.  It is these early rains which help start the growing season in Israel.

"The flowers appear on the earth;"

 

One of the things I, and many others appreciate most about spring is watching all of the flowers reappear after hiding under the snow for the winter.

"the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land"

 

Did you know that the turtledove is a migratory bird?  It normally leaves in the fall and returns to Israel in the spring.  

"The fig tree puts forth her green figs"

 

The fig tree normally produces its first crop in the spring, usually harvested in early June. 

"And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell"

 

The grapes are on the vine ripening in preparation for the coming harvest which normally occurs in July. 

The late Ray Stedman had this to say about this passage from Song of Solomon;

“There is the springtime of life. But it doesn't lie in the past. It lies in the future. One day this whole world will experience a springtime like that. The Lord Jesus Christ, returning at last to claim his waiting bride, will greet her in words very much like those. The springtime will come, the time of singing, the time when earth shall blossom again and the curse will be lifted and the flowers will appear on the earth. This is a picture of what can take place in the heart of one who falls in love with Jesus Christ and enters into springtime. The cold winter of loneliness, misery, and selfishness is past and the time of singing has come.” 

 

All things considered, I think it is safe to say that Solomon was anticipating a wedding just like many others have.  Being the way that I am, I have to wonder if Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, had a reason to choose spring as the season for a wedding. Many believe the Church is rapidly approaching its own wedding in Heaven, and a close look at the state of this world certainly seems to support that belief.  One day, very soon it would appear, the Church will hear the groom call out for her to "come away" just as Solomon wrote in this passage.  It is my prayer that you have made the decision to accept the gift of eternal life offered by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for your sin, and that you are part of the body, the bride of Christ which will live with Him forever in the place He is preparing for us.

If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. Simply admit to God that you need His forgiveness because you are a sinner,  be willing to turn away from your sins, believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and invite Him to come in and control  your life through the Holy Spirit by praying a simple prayer like this;

Father, I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:"   John 1:12 NKJV

If you have prayed this prayer you are part of the body of Christ, a member of His Church, and like the rest of us are now waiting for the call to join Him in Heaven for the wedding soon to come. 

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Satan's Playbook

"And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."       

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12  NKJV

The question I hear most often now, and one that is repeated among non believers as well as those who believe, is just what in the world is going on?  My reply is simply that Jesus not only told us to watch, but also told us we would see signs of His imminent return for the Church and the approach of the time of Jacobs trouble.  A fact that many miss is that much needs to happen in this world to prepare for the seventieth week of Daniel and the events which will take place during those seven years.  What we see happening in the world today is simply the preparation for that time which will shortly take place by those we could easily define as “Enemies of the State”.

A situation most of you have noticed is the resistance and outright opposition to the duly elected government by the liberal radical left.  We can plainly see these events on the news every day with scenes of people protesting, blocking traffic, and sometimes even resorting to civil violence to try and bring about change.  Then there is the weaponization of the judiciary as a means to stymie the goals of the government and hinder the implementation of executive decisions.  Of course, we also can’t forget the role that the media plays in all of this with their biased negative reporting while ignoring all of the positive accomplishments of the administration.  The most important point however, and the reason for today’s article, is that I’m not talking about the United States as you might have thought, but rather the nation of Israel.  You see, if you compare what is happening in the US along with current events in Israel it would appear that the exact same circumstances are playing out in both countries.

Most believers who are familiar with what the Bible teaches about the tribulation period will recognize the passage above from Thessalonians as referring to the coming world leader, most often called the antichrist.  Yet many miss the one word which helps to explain exactly what we are seeing in the world today, and the reason for the discontent, fear, and increasing resistance to authority which seems to be evolving into an almost daily occurrence.  The word I am referring to is found in verse 9, and it is the word “after”.  It is the Greek word “kata” which, while translated by the King James as “after”, also means “throughout” or “all along”.  In other words, the coming antichrist appears “after the working of Satan” which has been going on all along.

As I talked with God about the “coincidence” of the growing animosity of the left towards both our government as well as Israel’s, He reminded me of the bigger picture by pointing out something I was forgetting to take into account, and that is the author of this current crisis.  The struggle between good and evil has been going on since the Garden of Eden.  The Word of God makes it plain that Satan has a plan to destroy God’s creation any way he can, and what we are witnessing now is simply another step in that direction.  The only thing standing in his way is the Church, the body of Christ, in-dwelt by the power of the Holy Spirit acting to restrain the powers of darkness.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”    Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

He tells us our struggle is not “against flesh and blood". You see, if it was, we would probably only need to be defended from our front where an attack by a person would probably come from. But we are facing a fight from two fronts; rulers, forces, and powers of darkness of this world, and spiritual forces of wickedness from the heavenly places. So there are at least two fronts to defend ourselves from, and these attacks can come from any direction. I can honestly say that I find it no coincidence that that both the US and Israel find themselves in the exact same situation as it could rightly be said that we are the two biggest threats to Satan’s master plan.

I think it is entirely possible that the events we are seeing not only in this country, but in Israel are a sign that we are in the “fourth quarter” where we see Satan trying anything and everything to try and win the “game”.  Satan has a playbook and we are witnessing him using it against both countries.  As disturbing as it is to watch the world devolve into what can only be described as outright hatred to such a degree that truly only could come from Satan, how reassuring it is for us to know that our strength comes from the Lord and our victory is already won.  We can literally watch as God does our fighting for us and stand firm knowing that our deliverance, the rapture of the Church, is but moments away.

That said, it follows that believers will come under attack and suffer persecution because if we do our job, and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, Satan’s evil plans will be stymied in some manner.  The Church stands in the way of where Satan wants to take this world and it follows that he will try most anything to remove the obstacle which is the Church. The question we must ask ourselves, however, is if it’s possible he is succeeding by using current events to produce a side effect of persecution which renders the Church weaker and unable to restrain as effectively as it was intended to do?

Most scholars agree that the restrainer that Paul mentions is the Holy Spirit, sent to indwell believers on the first Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension.  Without a doubt, if a poll were taken of believers concerning how hard the Spirit is having to work in these present times in order to restrain the plans of the evil one, most would probably say the Holy Spirit is working overtime. While we agree that it is the Spirit who restrains, many also fail to realize that it is the Church, those of us who have chosen to believe, that the Spirit uses to restrain evil in this world. That said, it falls upon us as believers to not only recognize what is occurring in these times we are living in, but to also share with the unbelieving world the gospel of Jesus Christ and the hope of His soon return.

God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth for the sole purpose of sacrificing Himself so we can spend eternity with Him in Heaven.  The signs of His imminent return for us are all around us as we witness the attacks by Satan increasing. If you have never taken the step of accepting this gift of eternal life, I urge you to do it right now.  Simply pray a prayer like this one and confess to God your need for salvation, and accept the gift He provided for you by the death and resurrection of His own Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus I know I am a sinner. I have sinned against you, but I know you loved me enough to send your Son, Jesus Christ to die for my sins and then rise from the dead so that I may live forever with You. Lord forgive me of my sins and come into my life and help me to begin to live for You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Babel Redoux

“And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.”  Genesis 11:4-6. NKJV

The story of the Tower of Babel is one that most people, even those who aren’t believers, are familiar with and have at least a passing knowledge of.  My personal belief is that this is by design in that there are certain stories in the Bible that are intended by God as warnings to mankind, another example being the story of the Flood of Noah.  While I studied this past week, my attention was directed towards the Babel story and the possibility that it might just relate to the times we are living in, especially as it deals with the subject of rebellion against God.

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”  Daniel 12:4. NKJV

Right about now you are probably wondering if I suddenly took a left turn by sharing this passage from Daniel while talking about Babel.  The truth is, the Daniel passage is what prompted my thoughts about Babel, especially if we choose to consider a few points raised in both of these accounts.  The first would be the phrase from Daniel where he is told by the heavenly messenger  that as mankind approaches the end, “knowledge shall increase”.  Now as you might expect, many would counter with the argument that knowledge has always been increasing but this is one of those times where a closer examination of the original Hebrew is warranted.  

The word used here is “rāḇâ” which means “to multiply, increase, to increase greatly or exceedingly, to make great, enlarge, do much”.  This to me describes something much different than the normal evolution of knowledge but rather an exponential increase at a very unusual rate of speed.  Being old enough to remember the time before computers, I can attest to the fact that there is by now no part of our lives that is not somehow dependent on the technology mankind has developed in only the past few decades, and the speed at which we seem to be advancing is almost unbelievable.

There has been much talk, and even more speculation lately about the advances in the use of AI, or artificial intelligence.  As I have read and studied this subject I have been at times astounded by the claims made from those who know and understand this technology about what the future holds and what might be accomplished with the use of AI.  These claims are what directed my thoughts towards the Babel account and the words describing the efforts of man to attempt to accomplish anything they set their mind to.

The rate of AI’s advancement is unprecedented. In just the last decade alone, AI has improved by 40,000 times, according to a study by IARPA, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity. This means that AI’s abilities have increased exponentially, allowing it to learn, reason, and make decisions at an incredible pace.

https://www.clrn.org/how-fast-is-ai-advancing/

Another point to consider comes from the Genesis passage about Babel where we are told “they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.”  Well not only are the claims of what we may be able to accomplish with the use of AI concerning, there is another similarity we should not fail to take into account and that is the phrase concerning the sharing the same language.  As we all know, God chose to intervene and introduce many languages which exist to this day, yet something I had never before considered is that computers all share the same language.

Machine code, also known as machine language or native code, is the elemental language of computers. It is read by the computer's central processing unit (CPU), is composed of digital binary numbers and looks like a very long sequence of zeros and ones. Binary code is the only language that computer hardware can understand.                                                                 https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/machine-code-machine-language

If knowledge is increasing at an exponential rate never before seen in mans’ existence by the use of computers speaking the same basic language, as well as mankind making unbelievable claims about what we will soon be able to accomplish, might there be any other similarities to the Babel account we should consider?  Interestingly enough, there is one other point that needs to be mentioned and that is the subject of worship.

Now that might sound a little strange to you but a point that many miss in the story of Babel is the motivation they had in building the Tower.  Many, if not most scholars believe and teach that the Tower of Babel was designed to be a place of worship, and not to God but rather to themselves and their accomplishments.  Notice if you will the use of “ourselves” in the Babel account as well as their rejection of God’s command to spread out and repopulate the world after the flood.  The result of rejecting God was to attempt to replace Him with a religion that glorified self, “let us make a name for ourselves”, as well as creating a towering example of their knowledge and abilities.

Considering the facts we are given in these passages of scripture, it would appear that the only thing left to complete this picture is mankind making the choice to worship their creation of artificial intelligence.  That, in my opinion, would seem ridiculous to anyone with only a few functioning brain cells but believe it or not, it’s already here.  In studying this subject this past week I was floored when I found that there is actually a “Church of AI” which believes that worshipping God can be replaced with a religion based in the worship of logic rather than faith.  

The question today is not about what I think, but rather what do you think?  Are we about to see a Babel redoux moment?  I truly believe if this is not a sign we are swiftly approaching the time when God intervenes in human history again as He has before, I don’t know what is.  The question before all of us is who do you choose to believe?  I for one, choose to follow God, and believe His words to all mankind revealed to us in the Bible.  

Have you made the choice to follow? Have you have chosen to accept the gift of eternal life provided for us by God the Father?  If not, I would urge you to do it today.  Time to make that choice is indeed rapidly running out and Jesus returning to take His own back with Him to heaven could happen at any time.  All you need to do is simply ask Him for forgiveness for your sin, invite Him to come into your life, and believe He died to pay the price for your redemption.  A simple prayer like this is all that He wants to hear from you.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen.

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One Hundred Fifty Three

“After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself:Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord.Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.”    John 21:1-13. NKJV

Of the many memories I have of raising my daughters there are a few that stand out to me and I seem to remember more than others.  One of the most memorable is having a conversation with my youngest in which the question “why”was raised in continuum until I cried uncle and gave up.  In the years since, I have had the opportunity to come to the conclusion that I was exactly the same as a child.  After some thoughtful introspection, I have to admit that I do indeed ask that question quite often, especially as it relates to my studies of scripture.  

So it comes as no surprise that this passage from John has captured my attention from the very first time I read it. Why you ask?  Simply that as I read the story, the fact that the number of fish caught was specified to be exactly "one hundred and fifty three" caused me to ask “why”?  While I would never try and tell God how to write the scripture, the thought has occurred to me that if the number of fish was not specified but rather simply described as “a great many”, it wouldn’t  really change the story.  Yet the obvious conclusion is that God intended to tell us a specific number so it also follows that there is a reason He did so.

Now as I asked that question, and began to research, the answers I found ranged from curious, to intriguing, to strange, and often to completely bizarre.  So unfortunately, if you were hoping I would answer that question for you I’m afraid you will be disappointed.  The truth is, I have no idea, yet the one common denominator seems to be that most, if not all scholars agree it is a reference to the coming Church.  Just from looking at the chronological timeline of these events.I would agree simply because this occurs after Jesus had risen from the dead, and just before His ascension into Heaven.  He tells Peter as they eat the fish to “feed His sheep”, an obvious reference to the Church, and in the very next chapter, Acts chapter one, Jesus ascends into heaven.  The disciples are then filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost just ten days later, which becomes universally accepted as the day of the birth of the Church.

"When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them."  Acts 2:1-3  NKJV

Over the years, many of the best teachers of our generation have taught wonderful, informative lessons on this particular feast day, and I have personally profited from them all and have shared many of their words with you in the past.  Today I want to share with you an article by one of my favorites, Jack Kelley of gracethrufaith.com, with you.  The biggest reason I chose to do so is his explanation of the importance of the story of Ruth concerning this feast day, and how it pictures the relationship between Christ and His Church.  So enjoy Jack’s teaching today and see for yourself what the stories of the Old Testament can tell us of our future.

The Feast of Pentecost      A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Pentecost comes in the early summer (mid May-mid June).   It’s the only Levitical Feast Day between the three spring feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits) and the three in the fall (Rosh Hashanna, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles). The Hebrew name for this Day is Shavuot, which means weeks, so in Israel, it’s often called the Feast of Weeks.

This is because it’s supposed to occur seven weeks after the Feast of First Fruits (Lev. 23:15-16).  Deut. 16:9 confirms this.  “Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.” The first cutting of the grain took place on the Feast of First Fruits.   Since First Fruits was the first day after the Sabbath that follows Passover, it was always observed on a Sunday.  Shavuot, being seven weeks later, was always on a Sunday, too, and celebrated the beginning of the summer harvest.

But in 140 AD, following the final defeat of the Jewish nation after the bar Kochba revolt of 135 AD,  the Sanhedrin changed the focus of Shavuot from the summer harvest to the giving of the Law. They did this because Shavuot was one of the three feasts all Jews were required to observe (Exodus 23:14-17 tells us Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles were the other two) and the defeated and dispersed nation would no longer have any national harvests to celebrate.  From that time on, the countdown began from the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the day the Israelites left Egypt.  So now Shavuot can come any day of the week and takes place on the 6th day of the Hebrew month called Sivan, which is the traditional day Moses received the Law from the Lord.  Making this change placed the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai exactly seven weeks after the Exodus from Egypt and preserved the Feast of Weeks in Jewish life.

Christians call this day by its Greek name, Pentecost.  Pentecost comes from a word that means “50 days.”  That’s because there were 50 days from the Sabbath that followed Passover to Shavuot (Pentecost).

Early Christians also changed the way the various dates are determined, although we’ve retained the Sunday requirement for Pentecost.  Christians now start counting on the day we call Easter Sunday, which is officially the first Sunday after the first full moon that follows the Spring Equinox. We count Easter Sunday as day one, so Pentecost is always 49 days after Easter and always comes on a Sunday. By counting Easter Sunday on both ends of the span, we can arrive at 50 days (Pentecost) and still keep the celebration on the 7th Sunday after Easter.

What is Pentecost?

As I said, Jews now celebrate Pentecost (I’ll just use its Greek name to avoid any more confusion than necessary) as the day Moses received the Law on Mt. Sinai and the nation of Israel was born (Exodus 19-20).  Christians celebrate it as the day the Holy Spirit came upon the Disciples in Jerusalem and the Church was born.  (Some scholars see the historical and prophetic fulfillment of Pentecost in these two events.)

Acts 2 describes that day for us.  On Pentecost, the followers of Jesus were all gathered together in one place when a sound like the blowing of a violent wind filled the house where they were staying and what seemed like tongues of fire separated and came to rest on each of them.  They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as He enabled them. Just before He ascended into heaven Jesus told them to expect this (Acts 1:8) and now it was happening.  Since Pentecost was one of the feasts where attendance in Jerusalem was required, there were God-fearing Jews from many other countries in Jerusalem, swelling its normal population substantially.   The sound of the wind had alerted those who were nearby and as they came closer to see what it was, each one of these pilgrims was amazed to hear the disciples, who were all Galilean, speaking in his own language.

Peter got their attention and explained what was going on.  It was the first public presentation of the gospel since the Lord’s death and resurrection, and when Peter had finished, 3,000 of those gathered around had accepted his message and were baptized, and the Lord continued adding to their number daily.

If you agree with my view that the parables of Matthew 13 describe the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth and that the parable of the yeast (Matt. 13:33) predicts how the Church will be filled with sinners, you’ll be interested in the fact that unlike all the other Levitical Feasts that call for unleavened bread (no yeast), Pentecost calls for two loaves of bread baked with yeast (Lev. 23:17).  In the Bible leaven, or yeast, is a model of sin because it causes the dough to begin spoiling.

Other Jewish Pentecost ceremonies also reveal a subtle hint of the coming Church. In synagogues, the Book of Ruth is read on Pentecost. The story of Ruth has been called “The Romance of Redemption.”   It’s about Naomi, a Jewish woman from Bethlehem who lost her land due to a famine in Israel and was forced to flee into neighboring Moab (Jordan), where there was no famine.  Shortly thereafter her husband passed away leaving her penniless and alone in a foreign country.

After the famine had ended, she returned to Bethlehem accompanied by Ruth, a gentile woman who had sworn never to leave her.  Ruth was a Moabite who had married one of Naomi’s sons (who also died) making her Naomi’s daughter-in-law and a destitute widow as well.

Once back in Bethlehem Naomi’s close relative, a prominent Jewish man named Boaz fell in love with Ruth and married her.  In the process he also regained Naomi’s land as her kinsman-redeemer.  Both these events were accomplished according to the Law.  For Naomi it was the law of redemption (Lev 25:25), and for Ruth it was the law of leverite marriage (Deut. 25:5-6).

The modeling here is dramatic, with Naomi in the role of Israel, destitute and alone, Ruth as the Church, the gentile bride, Boaz as the Messiah, and the story itself as a prediction of the relationship that would involve all three of them.  In the process of redeeming Israel, the Messiah takes a gentile bride. In doing so, He saves both from their destitute condition and restores Israel’s Land.  The identification of the Church with Pentecost began in the prophecies of Ruth. To learn more about these incredible prophecies, and enjoy one of the world’s classic love stories, read Ruth’s Story.

By the way, Boaz was the son of Rahab, the harlot from the Book of Joshua (read “The Gospel in Joshua … The Story of Rahab” ).  His great-grandson David became the King of Israel. Rahab and Ruth are both listed in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matt. 1:5), and King Solomon named one of the pillars at the entrance to the Temple after his ancestor Boaz.

When’s Your Birthday?

By tradition, Enoch, one of the patriarchs from Genesis 5, was born on the day later to be known as Pentecost. Enoch’s name means “teaching,” a primary function of the Church (Matt. 28:19-20).  For this reason many scholars see him as a “type” of the church as well. Genesis 5:21-23 indicates that Enoch had a close relationship with God and was actually taken live (raptured) into Heaven before the Great Flood. Pre-Trib scholars see this event as one of several Old Testament hints that the Church will disappear from Earth before the Great Tribulation.

These same traditions also hold that Enoch was taken on his birthday. So here’s a man, identified with the Church, perhaps being born and raptured on the day that would become Pentecost, the day the Church was born.  Will the Church be raptured on our birthday, too?  Personally I don’t believe the Rapture of the Church will be the prophetic fulfillment of any of Israel’s Holy Days.  But if I’m wrong and the Rapture does fulfill a Levitical Feast, Pentecost seems to be the most obvious candidate.

As you probably know, I believe the reason no one on Earth can accurately predict the day of the Rapture is because it’s a number specific event, not a date specific one. In Romans 11:25 Paul implied the church has a “full number,” when its ranks will be considered complete.  When that number is reached the Church will “come in,” which means it will arrive at its scheduled destination, like when a ship “comes in.”  Jesus said the destination of the Church is His Father’s house (John 14:2). Put it together, and I believe it means we’ll be raptured as soon as the predetermined number of Christians has been born again, no matter what day it happens to be.

Soon And Very Soon

No matter what day it happens to be, one day soon now, all who are in Christ, having heard and believed the Word of Truth, the Gospel of our salvation (thereby receiving the seal of the promised Holy Spirit) will suddenly disappear from the face of the Earth along with all children and others who are intellectually incapable of making informed choices about their eternal destiny.  In one instant we will have been going about our daily routines here on Earth and in the next we’ll be standing in the presence of our Redeemer, our sins forgiven and forgotten, and all our imperfections gone. Among us will be all the faithful dead of the Church Age, reunited with perfected bodies and restored to eternal physical life. Together we will begin the most incredible journey of exploration and realization ever dreamed of, and it will last forever.

Neither we, nor the unbelieving world, will have received any advance warning of the timing for this event; it will have come totally by surprise. Maybe it will happen on Pentecost, maybe not. But one thing is certain, when it does happen, none of us will care one bit whether we had predicted it’s timing accurately. We will only express in unimaginable joy our gratitude for being there.

 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephe. 2:8-9)

As it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him – but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit (1 Cor. 2:9-10).

You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 05-23-15.

So what is the relationship between the birth of the Church on Pentecost and the story of the 153 fish?  Call me crazy, (and many do), but something I heard long ago which I have never forgotten is a saying in Jewish culture which simply states that “coincidence isn’t kosher”.  I don’t recall when I first read that, but it is something that I have always remembered when I study the Word because of my personal belief that God intended every word, and even the very punctuation to be placed exactly where we find it.  

So my curious mind is asking why we are told a specific number of fish (the Church) and is there a relationship between that number and Paul’s statement that there is a “number” associated with the Church being complete at the time of the rapture?  Add to that the fact we have the Feast of Pentecost, a day celebrated as the birth of the Church, that many bible scholars believe is somehow associated with the rapture as well. Looking at all of this, along with my firm belief that because there is no such thing as coincidence in a world where an omnipotent God is in charge, the fact that this year the Feast of Pentecost, the birth of the Church, is celebrated for two days ending on June 3rd which also just happens to be the 153rd day of the year seems very interesting to me.

While as a father I may have become exasperated by my children asking why, I believe God our Father not only wants us to, but enjoys it when we study His Word and ask why?  So what does the number 153 mean?  Will the rapture of the Church happen on the 153rd day of this year?  Well again, I have no idea, but one thing I do know is that more and more people are coming to the conclusion that the current situation we as a world find ourselves in, is in fact, a sign of the approaching rapture of the Church. If you are not a member of the body of Christ, understand that God has provided a way for all to be saved by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sin. It is through His sacrifice that we can be saved and spend eternity with Him as He has promised us. Have you made the choice to accept Him as your Savior and Lord? If not, I hope you will consider doing it today. You can do this by simply praying a prayer like this one:

Jesus I know I am a sinner and have broken your commandments and sinned against you. I believe you died and rose again for me as a sacrifice for my sins. I ask you to forgive me of my sins and come into my heart so that I can begin to live for you. Amen.

If you have done that, know that as a child of God we are promised an escape from the trouble to come, and deliverance to eternal life with Him by way of the rapture of the Church.  An event that the Apostle Paul describes as having a specific number, is by all accounts, approaching faster than many expected.

Keep watching.